At Scanner Master, we’re more than a retailer – we are also an online resource for the police and emergency services scanner community.

If you’re looking for information on police scanner codes, police scanner frequencies, scanner codes, scanner frequencies, police radio frequencies or other information, use this section as your guide.

Keep in mind that we’re always happy to talk, chat or email with you about your specialized problems. The world of police and emergency responder scanning is as vast as the U.S. and Canada, so visit this page frequently for the latest updates of concern to our scanning community.

The best national resource for frequency information is found
at www.radioreference.com. Just create a user name
and password for free (although donations are welcome) and then go to the
“Database” and then “Database Home” for all the information you could ever want
on frequencies and trunking talk groups for your area or any area in the
nation.

Frequencies, communications systems
and more!

If you’re looking for frequencies
and trying to understand the many communication systems in your area, you’re come
to the right place. Let’s cover some of the basics. There are three types’
communication systems:

Analog conventional
Trunking
Digital

So that means there are three levels of scanners:
1. Analog Conventional
2. Analog trunking
3. Digital (scanner cover all three types of systems)

The type of scanner needed is determine by the communications systems in use in
your area.
Let’s start off with understanding the three types.

What is an Analog Conventional Scanner?
These scanners are great for monitoring basic analog “FM” police and fire systems
and usually AM Commercial aviation. Analog conventional scanners do not pick up
trunking, digital, 700 or 800 MHz systems.

What is an Analog Trunking Scanner?
These scanners are non digital that pick up both analog conventional and analog
trunking scanning them at the same time.

Trunking is a system which multiple agencies are sharing the same system.
One individual department conversation jump from one frequency to another.
Conversations of individual group/department can be followed by programming a
talk group. Most system there is one frequency called a Control Channel,
this channel sounds like a buzz-saw if monitored conventional. The Control
Channel is the brain of the system, assigning each user on the system a
frequency when transmitting.

Programming a trunking system can be
made this simple by getting the optional ARC (Advice Radio Control)
software. This software looks very much like a spreadsheet. You can
enter the data into the appropriate fields. The other option is to leave
the programming to us with our HomeTown Programming Service.

What is a digital “Project 25” (P25)
Scanner?
This type of scanner can pick up analog/digital conventional communications and
analog/digital trunking. Digital communications are transmitted in ones and
zeros like computer binary code, or like Digital TV. Digital scanners
decode both a digital signal and receive analog signal. Digital scanner
cannot pick up encrypted communications, or cell phone calls.It’s not possible or lawful. Click here to see our full line of Digital Scanners.

There are a few systems that cannot be monitor:
Open Sky, EDACS ProVoice, and European Tetra or any type of encryption.

Did you buy the right scanner?If you already bought scanner, and
you are not sure if you have the right one, don’t worry! You can check by
simply visiting our sister website policescanners.net. This website will tell you what types of communication
systems are in use in your area. Plus give you the recommended scanners for
that area too. All so you can find great links to online frequency
databases covering your local area.

Over 700 pages of information on police, fire, EMS, local government, transit, sports, and much more. The book includes a huge federal government section. Filled with not only frequencies, but PL/DPL tones, channelization information, unit designators, radio codes and so much more. The ultimate guide to the most radio-rich region of the nation.

Note: This product is non-returnable for creditA compact excerpt from the larger Southwest Frequency Directory. This 215 page 4.25" by 7" book will enhance radio monitoring by providing the most important aspects of its larger counterpart, in a smaller package covering Maricopa (Phoenix), Pima (Tucson) and Pinal counties. Keep one in your car for quick reference!

Note: This product is non-returnable for creditFor Los Angeles County, California; Cook County (Chicago and environs), Illinois; or the 5 Boros of New York City (specify one of these regions in the notes section of your order). For other areas of the country please see the Medium or the Small directory.

Note: This product is non-returnable for creditFor the major city/county areas of the nation other than New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago (for those areas please refer to the Large County directory). These city/county areas includes (city proper): Boston, Philadelphia, DC, Pittsburgh, Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Houston, Dallas, Ft. Worth, Kansas City, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Columbus, Denver, Salt Lake City, Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, and similar-sized cities. For other areas of the country please see the Small directory. If you are not sure which area your city/county falls into please send an e-mail to support@scannermaster.com.

Note: This product is non-returnable for creditFor all counties in the U.S. except the top 25 largest city/county areas of the nation. For these larger regions please see the Medium and Large Directories. If you are not sure which directory your area falls into please send an e-mail to support@scannermaster.com.

Note: This product is non-returnable for credit This book was printed in 2008 and while much is outdated there is
still tons of valuable information for the Massachusetts and Rhode
Island scanner listener.

Thousands of new listings, critical police and fire frequency changes, hundreds of sub-audible tone/PL updates, new channel usage data, and much more.